It was a far cry from his last outing, when the otherwise sure-footed kicker missed two crucial field goals in the Birds’ playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers. Now, the veteran kicker faces an uncertain future as a free agent.

Last August, Akers noticed that his 6-year-old daughter, Halley, had developed breast tissue. Worried, the family went to see the doctor. An ultrasound revealed a cyst on her left ovary. The breast tissue was caused by the tumor, which was causing the ovary to shoot estrogen into her body, reports the Inquirer.

Two days before the Green Bay game, Akers and Halley made a trip to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for more tests. According to the paper, Halley had a juvenile granuloma cell tumor. Her left ovary needed to be removed. They also talked about removing the right ovary, which was swollen.

“I could tell he was there doing his job. But he wasn’t there,” said Erika.

The couple decided to spare the right ovary. Akers told the Inquirer, “Obviously, the No. 1 thing with us was her safety. No. 2, which was right there close to it, was her fertility.”

It’s been just over two weeks since the surgery and tests have showed that the doctors got the entire malignant tumor, according to the paper. But Halley will need to undergo tests for the rest of her life and, even if she remains cancer-free, she will probably need to have her right ovary removed as well.